"The allocation of time really left Ben Carson and Donald Trump in an interesting situation," Towery, chairman of the Atlanta-based InsiderAdvantage research firm, told "Newsmax Now" host John Bachman. "They were neither hurt nor helped by the debate.

"Trump might have been helped in the sense that he was able to be kinder and nicer and gentler," he added. "That might have actually helped a little bit.

"That's why you're seeing the numbers for Trump — in these online polls, at least — show him coming in first place."